Coin-operated telephone attachment



(No Model.)

T H. F. DUGAN.

GOIN OPERATBD TELEPHONE ATTACHMENT.

No. 437,293. Patented Sept. 30, 1890.

Y, UNITED VSTATES,

PATENT OFFICE..

HERBERT F. DUGAN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

COlNfOPERATVED TELEPHONE`ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 437,293, datedSeptember 30, 1890.

Application filed .Tune 6, 1890. Serial No, 354,462. (No model.) I l Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT F. DUGAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCoin-Operated Telephone Attachments; and I do declare the following tobe a full, cleanand exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and toletter's of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention is an improved device for preventing the use of a telephonewithout the payment of the proper toll; and it consists in acoin-controlled lock adapted to be applied to the magneto-bell ortransmitter in such a manner that the party desiring to use theinstrument must pay the toll before the vmessage can be sent.

The particular nature of the invention will be hereinafter first fullydescribed, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the annexed drawings, which fully illustrate my invention, Figure lis afront elevation of a telephone-instrument, showing my improveddevice applied to the bell thereof. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section ofthe lock on the line a: a: of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4: are sectionalelevations showing the operation of the device.

The telephone-instrumentis of the usual or any preferred construction,and forms no part of my invention.

On the side of the magneto-bell case or on the front of the transmitterI form a laterally-projecting hook A, and the casing B of my lock ishinged to the magneto-bell case or the transmitter and provided with `aslot C to permit the said projecting hook A to enter the lock.

In the top of the casing, near the rear end of the same, I form the slotD, through which the proper coin to pay the toll is inserted.

Within the casing I provide on the side thereof the horizontal ribs orguides E, be-

tween which the slide F and the bolt G are mounted and play. The slide Fis provided with a handle H, which projects through the slot I in theside of the casing and forms a means of operating said slide. The bolt Gis provided at its front end with a beveled edge J 'and an engagingshoulder K, which is adapted to engage the hook A on the bell ortransmitter, as shown most. clearly in Fig. 2.

At the rear end of the bolt I form the slot L, into which the coin dropsafter being inserted through the slot D in the casing, and the bolt andthe slide are normally thrown toward the front end of the casing bysprings M, secured to the casing and the slide and bolt, respectively.The rear end of the lower guide or rib E is extended slightly beyond theslide, so as to form a rest J for the coin, as will be readilyunderstood upon reference to Figs. 3 and 4.

In practice the lock is secured to the magneto-bell case so as to coverthe crank thereof or to the transmitter so as to extend over thediaphragm, with the bolt engaging the hook. The casing will be thusprevented from swinging from the magneto-bell case or the transmitter,and consequently the instrument cannot be used. In order to use theinstrument, the speaker must drop acoin through the slot C, and saidcoin will then fall upon the projecting end of the lower rib or guidewith its upper edge engaging the slot in the bolt, thus forming aconnection between the slide and the bolt, so that when the slide ispushed `backward the bolt will be withdrawn from engagement with thehook A, and the casing consequently be free to swing outward and permitthe instrument to be used. Should the handle H be manipulated before acoinis inserted into the casing, the slide will move backward withoutaecting the bolt. It will thus be seen that it is necessary to insertthe coin before the instrument can be used. When the slide is pushedbackward, the coin will be shoved from the rib or guide E and will dropto the bottom of the casing, where the several coins will collect untilthey are removed by the custodian of the device. After the coin hasdropped to the bottom of the casing` the bolt will be automaticallydrawn forward to the front end of the casing and into engagement withthe hook by the spring M, as will be readily understood.

In order to facilitate the removal of the coins, I provide the casingwith a swinging bottom N, which forms a money-box, and is secured thesaid hook and adapted to receive a coin, the spring adapted to hold thesaid bolt in engagement with the hook, and a slide arranged below thebolt and adapted to be con nected therewith by a coin, as set forth.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of the bolthaving a slot in its end to receive a coin, the slide supporting thebolt, and a rib supporting the slide and extending beyond the same tomaintain the coin in the path of the slide, as set forth.

3. The combination, with the magneto-bell case having a lat-eralprojection on its side, of the casing hinged to the magneto-bell caseand adapted to iit over said projection, and a bolt mounted within thecasing and normally engaging the said projection and adapted to bereleased therefrom through the aid of a coin, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HERBERT F. DUGAN.

Witnesses:

FELIX DEUTSCHE, WALLACE A. WISE.

